‘Blindsided’ and furious over Mooloolah River Interchange

THE threat of torrential rain could not dampen the fighting spirit of Brightwater residents who took to the streets to protest against plans to build a major transport corridor within metres of their homes.

Residents said they were blindsided last month when they discovered the conservation area behind their homes was earmarked for the Mooloolah River Interchange Project - designed to connect Kawana Way with Maroochydore at a cost of $440 million.

Led by members of the recently formed Mooloolah River Interchange Action Group, more than 100 angry Brightwater and Hideaway Waters residents turned out at Lamatia Dr on Friday afternoon to question Member for Buderim Steve Dickson (pictured) over the plans.

Tempers flared as homeowners spoke of their anger at the "secrecy" surrounding the plans.

They said they feared property values would plummet and that their quality of life would be destroyed.

"Reselling our home is going to cost us hundreds of thousands," one woman said.

"I think people don't understand that if the value of our property goes down (on Lamatia Dr), then everyone else's (in Brightwater) will," she said.

"It's not only the aesthetics, but the noise is going to be horrendous."

FEARS FOR THE FUTURE: Angry Brightwater residents hold a street rally to protest against the proposed changed alignment of the Mooloolah River Interchange.Iain Curry

Lamatia Dr resident Jason Chettle said he and wife Emma were worried about the impact of the traffic noise and fumes on their five-year-old daughter, a Brightwater State School student.

"We'd like it to go back to the original path," he said.

Labor's original Multi-Modal Transport Corridor would have been built within 300m of Brightwater homes, yet the new plans proposed by the Newman Government are expected to deliver a saving of $500 million.

Under relevant legislation, only homes directly under the footprint of the road link, such as those in Hideaway Waters, will be resumed, and only those residents have been directly notified of the alignment changes.

Mr Dickson said a public announcement had been made about the alignment last August and he had met with the Brightwater Community Association in September.

He said while he sympathised with residents and encouraged them to provide feedback, his responsibility was to ensure his electorate had the best road network possible.

"Since we've come to government, our Department of Transport and Main Roads has looked at all the possible options, understanding that the possible impact on the Mooloolah River is immense," he said.

"This road is going to be built somewhere.

"The road network has to happen so people can get back and forward to the biggest hospital being built on the east coast of Australia."

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He said residents would have until the middle of the year to lodge appeals and promised to "drag" DTMR representatives to meetings.

"This option that is being put forward is the most affordable, it is the most environmental," he said.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that you get buffers, whatever you require, so that you're not going to see that road."

Those at the rally questioned whether Brightwater developer Stockland bore any responsibility for not informing property owners of the plans sooner.

A Stockland spokeswoman said the developer had discovered the plan to move to the land-based alignment via the same process used to inform local residents.

"Since this is a DTMR project and the proposed road corridor is located on crown land outside the boundary of our community, we were not involved in any direct or advanced consultation with the government on this project prior to the government's recent public announcement," she said.